Angel of Darkness
by Haruka's Knight
Summary: After the fall of the Foot Clan based in New York, Karai leaves the Hamato Clan to face her past and make peace with her future. She travels to Japan alone and into the depths of her former life. Karai centric, based on 2012 Nick Ninja Turtles, diverts from canon at the end of season 3. Pairings: Karai x Leonardo, you have been warned.
1. Old Friends (Spring 2014)

**Angel of Darkness:**

 **Old Friends (Spring 2014):**

 _"Aishiteru. I love you, please be safe."_

 _"Leo, I'm about as good at saying I love you as I am at saying thank you."_

 _"I think you just did."_

 _"Leonardo. Aishiteru Samurai. Wait for me, I promise I'll come back."_

Karai woke to a cold creeping into her flesh and the sounds of her dream still ringing in her ears. She hated to sound sentimental, but she swore she could actually feel Leo's breath on her ear and hear his voice in her ear. She closed her eyes, took a slow breath and let go of the dream in favor of facing the present. If she hoped to return to the Hamato Clan she first needed to put the ghosts of both clans to rest. Her return to Japan had a secondary purpose that she'd not mentioned to Leo, as he would have insisted it was too dangerous and tried to come with her. She been raised to lead the Foot Clan one day, and not all of said clan had fallen in New York. In Japan they were still alive, still in the shadows and woven into the criminal underworld as well. She intended to end that, with a little help.

Karai took a quick shower, changed for the day and left the small motel with all of her belongings in tow. She turned the key in and left without a second look. Tokyo was full of places no one would look for her, and also had a darker side that most respectable Japanese citizens would never dream of. Karai walked the line between the two at the moment, hiding on the edge of each as she slipped closer to where she was going. The dojo was unassuming on the outside, nothing made it seem to be anything special. There was no hint that it was really a recruiting front for the Foot Clan, it appeared to only be a karate school.

The bell jingled as Karai entered, alerting an instructor near front and also drawing the eye of the dojo master. The master looked up, waving the instructor back to his class and came forward to look at her. They exchanged polite greetings, as if they did not know each other, and he led her off to an office. Once the door closed the master smiled slightly as he bowed to the young woman.

"Oroku Karai, I never thought I would see you again. I am happy that you are alive and well." He eyed her curiously. "You are well I hope. We have heard some disturbing reports from New York."

"I am well, Yuma-sensei." She bowed to her former teacher. He offered her a seat and they sat on opposite sides of his desk. "I have a few dangerous questions for you, sensei."

"You always did, Karai-san." He smiled indulgently at her, much the way a grandfather would.

"You were with my father for a very long time, were you not?"

"Since our training days, we were young boys when we met."

"So you were there when the Hamato Clan fell?" She saw a spark of concern light in his eyes at the mention.

"No, I was on a mission far from Tokyo. When I returned all was said and done." He shifted, and sighed. "Do not beat around the bush, ask what you wish to know."

"Did you know that I was really Hamato Yoshi's child?" She asked bluntly, watching as his eye brows jumped slightly.

"Not at first, no. When I returned I was given the choice of death or service to the resurrected Foot Clan. I was not trusted to preform missions, but since I was a capable ninja I was given the duty of training and recruiting new members. Fresh blood for Oroku Saki's rise to power." He relaxed into his seat. "I was told that Yoshi, Shen and Miwa died in the fire and that no further discussion of the topic would be tolerated. When you were two was the first time I saw you, I found it strange as Saki had never shown interest in any woman other than Tang Shen, but at the time I knew better than to ask. As you got older, I could see bits of your mother in you and I began to suspect. The possibility that you were Yoshi's child only made me wish to protect you more."

"You speak dangerously, perhaps I love my adopted father still." Karai raised an eyebrow, portraying a calculating look.

"Were that true, we would not be having this conversation, young one." He smirked and she allowed her act to slip.

"Why have you served the Foot Clan?"

"As I said, my choice was serve or die. All were dead or serving Saki when I returned. Training students has not been bad, knowing what is asked of them later stains my soul."

"What if I told you I want to end the Foot Clan?"

"End it?" He laughed slightly. "My dear Karai-chan, that is how this all began. Our clans have been enemies for so long, trying to put an end to each other. When I was but a child, a few years older than Saki and Yoshi, the Hamato Clan ended the Foot Clan and burned their homes to the ground. They did not kill women and children, with the exception of kunoichis who fought. They did leave many homeless and mourning their lost. Had we not done that Oroku Saki would not have wished to do the same to the Hamato Clan a few decades later."

"The same could be said of if my true grandfather had just wiped them all out." Karai pointed out.

"I suppose that is true, however it could have become someone else's vendetta." He leaned on his desk, forearms resting on the wood. "But had someone found a way to co-exist perhaps we may have not seen either tragedy."

"For a ninja, you have a bleeding heart."

"We must never forget that if we kill everyone, nothing positive comes of our existence."

"You want me to bring peace between what's left of the clans?" She saw his eyes spark.

"The rumors are true? Hamato Yoshi lives? And he has been training ninjas?" There was definitely a spark in her old sensei's eyes now.

"Yes, the rumors are true." She took a moment then spoke again. "My true father has been training ninjas, they defend the streets of New York. The Foot Clan in New York has been broken, though a few meager pockets still exist."

"Hamato Miwa, are you reunited with your father?"

"I am, and I wish to put an end to all of this. I wish to make peace with the ghosts of this conflict and put the past to rest, but to do so the present needs be addressed. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I would, and I will aide you in any way I can. The Foot Clan in Japan is far reaching, but the disciples of Hamato at its roots still exist." He leaned back into his chair once more and smiled. "This will not be easy, and it will take time."

"Time I have and easy is boring."

"That is the Karai I remember." He laughed again, but this time it was warm and mildly comforting. Karai had her first ally in this uphill battle.

 **Author's Note:**

Please read and review.


	2. Shadows

**Angel of Darkness:**

 **Shadows (Spring 2014):**

 _Dear Samurai,_

 _I'm safe, after a fashion, and the weather here agrees with me. You may safely write to the return address on this letter, it's a P.O. Box. I hope you're not worrying about me; our brothers give you enough to worry about. Is the princess keeping the lanky one occupied for you? How are the joker and the wrecking machine? How is Father? Please let him know I am safe, and that he shouldn't worry._

 _I've only just arrived but I'm adjusting to things well. Still, I miss the brown air of New York and a few other things there._

 _Take care,_

 _KH_

 **TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT**

Yuma-Sensei's dojo closed its doors at the respectable hour of 8PM. After that only the master himself and his new private student stayed. Inside Karai faced her former training master, adjusting her grip on her boken as he circled her with his own boken in hand. Karai followed his movements with her eyes, watching for any hint of movement other than his slow circles. At random intervals he would move in and strike, testing her defenses. They moved through the drill as Yuma-sensei spoke.

"When the events in New York unfolded, rumors reached us. The clan first wrote it off as rumors, but slowly we came to realize the Shredder had truly fallen. Once that fact was accepted, a struggle began over whom should lead in the Shredder's place." He paused to regard the young woman. "To be brutally honest, many believe you to be dead. We had heard whispered rumors that you had been captured, that you may have been killed or that you may have died either at the Shredder's hand or at his side."

"So has anyone won that struggle?"

"No, not yet." Yuma seemed to consider something carefully. "Have you realized you could be considered an heir to both clans?"

"I'm aware, sensei." Karai wrinkled her nose at the thought alone. "The Hamato Clan has an heir; I don't think I'm suited to that position."

"Perhaps not." Yuma lowered his sword and inclined his head, wordlessly ending the exercise if not their discussion. "I believe there are people you should meet Karai-san, but you must win them over."

"By being an Oroku, or by being a Hamato?" She raised an eyebrow at her sensei at the thought.

"In art there isn't a difference. We teach as the Hamato's taught, though we let ninjas into the field at a far earlier point. The Hamato clan had less involvement with the outside world so it didn't need disposable soldiers. A few portions of the art were ordered to be withheld unless the Shredder himself taught them, but little else has changed." He took a deep breath before speaking again. "The philosophical difference is more pronounced. They were brothers, Saki and Yoshi, and they fought as any would. Saki felt that an enemy deserved no mercy, but Yoshi valued life. Both could kill, but Saki would make that death terrible while Yoshi would merely end it."

"You've seen them kill?" She could easily picture Oroku Saki taking a life, in fact she'd seen him do so more than once, but the image of Hamato Yoshi as a killer had dulled some. She knew he was capable of it, but she also knew he chose other ways when he could. Leo was more like him than either realized.

"I have." Yuma smiled but it was filled with irony rather than warmth. "Does that surprise you?"

"It shouldn't." She set aside her boken and eyed the older man. "But in the case of my true father, it does."

"He is a ninja, when you take away all else, young one." Yuma turned toward his office. "I need to make a call; I think I know who you should see first. I should be able to leave the dojo in my assistant's care for a few days."

Karai sank into a cross legged position, seated herself on the solid wood floor, and allowed her eyes to slip shut. She took slow, deep breaths and allowed her mind to clear as best she could. This was not something the Shredder valued, he believed anger and hatred made you strong. Yuma had taught her to meditate as a small child, to help settle her emotions and purge the fear and loneliness she felt. Growing up as the Shredder's daughter had not been filled with the kind of happy childhood memories people considered normal. As soon as she could walk she began to learn fighting, as soon as she mastered the basics she learned sparring. Shredder did not tolerate weakness, least of all from his own child. He rewarded ruthlessness, strength and loyalty to only him. As soon as he'd taken her from Yuma-sensei's tutelage he told her she'd "grown out of the need to meditate" and encouraged unleashing pent up emotion through physical violence.

She focused again on her breathing. As she did so she decided to let her mind imagine she was in New York, in her true father's dojo, sitting under the tree. She had wondered, once, exactly how the tree had gotten there. Now she merely imagined sitting beneath it, breathing slowly and allowed a deep calm to settle over her. Splinter's voice filtered through her mind, uttering a quiet chant meant to bring balance and peace to a person's soul. As the image solidified in her mind she could nearly feel her father sitting to her left, chanting softly. On her right she felt another steady presence, she could imagine him next to her with his blue eyes closed. This was her quiet place inside her own mind, this room with her father and Leonardo.

 **TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT**

 _Dear Angel,_

 _I'm glad to hear you're safe, I let father know not to worry for now. Father asked that I pass on his well wishes and that I remind you to be safe. I can't help but feel like the two of you know something I don't. I'm probably reading too much into that. Just be safe, whatever you are up to._

 _D would never forgive you if I told him you called him "Lanky" in your first letter. Actually I haven't mentioned the letter to the others, Wreck-it would have a field day if he knew. They're all well, Wreck-it is angry that you get to "Globe trot" while he has to "baby sit" the rest of us. D and Ape have been less visible, I'm not sure if that's because Wreck-it and our favorite Joker started making kissy sounds or not. D is up to something in his lab, he caused a small explosion the other day but no one was injured. Our little Joker is distracted. He was so depressed when he found out you would be gone for a while that we took him to Murakami for a special dinner. Murakami-san offered to teach him how to make some of his signature dishes and he's cheered up greatly._

 _We all miss you. Please stay safe,_

 _Samurai_

Karai set aside the letter, shaking her head at Leo's choice of address. She finished slipping back into her armor and smiled slightly. She liked her street clothes just fine, but it felt good to be back in her minimal armor with her short sword in open view. She left the room she currently resided in and strode purposefully down the hall of the traditional house. Yuma had been true to his word, escorting her to a training camp near the mountains, where they had arrived late and stayed the night as guests of the resident master.

"Good morning, Oroku-sama." A servant bowed to her as she reached the door of the private dojo. The woman opened the door for her, sliding it shut behind her once she entered. Karai did not move far in, folding into a seated position to one side of the door, near the wall. Yuma and another man squared off in the center of the room. They dueled with wooden bokens, and the sound of the strikes made it clear they were using enough force to break bones. Neither made contact with the other, bokens meeting instead.

Watching the two attack and counter was interesting. Karai knew Shredder had taken over the Hamato Clan to resurrect the Foot Clan. She also knew anyone who hadn't joined him had been hunted down, then killed as painfully as possible by their former clan mates. Even those who'd followed him had dwindled in the nearly two decades since. Only a handful of ninjas remained who'd been raised and trained by the Hamato Clan of old. All were of a caliber the Foot Clan simply did not produce.

Daisuke-san, who preferred not to use a surname, looked to be around the same age as Yoshi and Saki, though he was much shorter than either. His dark hair had only just begun to show flicks of gray, his 5 foot 3 frame was built of lean muscle and he bore the scars of someone who'd seen many close battles. One scar crossed his throat, a set of four lines which caught her eye as the two masters ended their duel and turned toward her. Daisuke saw her gaze on him and seemed to measure her with his seemingly coal black eyes as he stood beside Yuma.

"So you are Oroku Karai." Daisuke scratched his neck scar lightly, clearly inviting her gaze to examine it. "This scar is a memento of your father, Oroku-san. He summoned me to speak with him late one night, in the early days of the Foot revival. When I came to him he called my loyalty into question and struck before I could speak. He raked my throat with the old claws he once wore, much less impressive to the eye but still very lethal. After that near miss I stood ready to fight, but he laughed and said that he was testing my will. He claimed he missed intentionally and that should I ever betray him he would not miss twice. Do you think he missed intentionally, Oroku-san?"

"I think you are either very lucky, or very skilled, Daisuke-san." Karai had replied calmly. Shredder was not a merciful man, mentally she doubted he'd let Daisuke live. If he'd gone for the throat, she was certain he'd meant to kill the man. She knew there was more to the short ninja than met the eye, Yuma had stated as much though he would give no further detail.

"A very careful answer." Daisuke offered a smile that was mysterious at best. He snapped his fingers and the female servant opened the door and bowed. "Have tea brought to the garden." He instructed before leading his two guests out onto the deck. He pointed out a few things along their way. When they arrived in the 'Garden' Karai was intrigued to see an outdoor training yard bordered by roses and cherry trees. A young man stood waiting, at rigid attention, dressed fully in a Foot Clan uniform. His head band, bearing the symbol of the clan, was gray instead of the normal dark shade of red.

"Daisuke-san, is this necessary?" Yuma asked in a tone that hinted at boredom.

"Yuma-san, old friend, have patience." Daisuke smiled as if he was part of some great joke, but that light did not reach his eyes. "You and I both know that they have said Oroku Saki and Oroku Karai died in New York. I was not so privileged as you to have met and trained the girl, as my post kept me to the edges of the Clan more often than not. If she is the daughter of Oroku Saki, surely he will have had her trained to a skill level few could match and this will be less than a formality. With so much deception, however, I'd like to see the young lady in action. Ensure that we are not being taken in by a fake heir."

"And what is it you wish me to do?" Karai asked, some of her typical attitude slipping into her voice. She had not expected to go unchallenged but Daisuke speaking as if she were not present irked her. His black eyes came back to her again and he nodded toward the training yard.

"A simple unarmed combat exercise. No more, no less." He stated as he turned to usher Yuma toward a small table.

Karai was headstrong, but she was not foolish. Foot soldiers wore a different band only when they were of a different class. The man awaiting her would be a veteran clan member as soldiers go, and he would be specially trained for some task though what that was she did not know. A normal clan member was trained minimally in evasion and stealth, but heavily in use of over whelming numbers and brute force. This was why average clan soldiers never attacked alone, cannon fodder was best in large quantities. Those who survived long enough to make an impression on superiors were sent away to train for more difficult missions. This alone did not bother Karai, after all, she'd been trained by former members of the Hamato Clan itself, including Yoshi and Saki. All this specially trained man meant was that she should be prepared for surprises.

Karai stepped into the training area, the hard packed dirt felt nearly like the hard wood floor of a dojo. It seemed, this area was well used. The clan member before her shifted smoothly into a fighting stance but seemed to be waiting. Karai placed a hand on her hip, allowing one foot to naturally rest further back than the other and shot the man a slightly cocky smile. Oroku or Hamato it didn't matter, Karai was confident in her ability to handle most men who dared cross her.

"Begin." Daisuke commanded as a servant set out a tea service between himself and Yuma.

Karai moved, because a ninja need not hesitate in the presence of a known threat. She launched forward a step, unleashing a rear foot round house kick aimed at his head. Her attack missed because her opponent was no longer in range. She saw him move, but he was fast and light on his feet. She jumped aside as he tried to strike her from behind. He was fast for a Foot soldier, but she was no sloth herself. She dodged another swift attack and just managed to tap him in the shoulder with one fist as they moved, not a true strike but she was getting a better idea of his style. A sound, quieter than a whisper, moved from the trees behind her. She rolled to one side as a second ninja struck at her from that direction. As she came to her feet she noted three now clearly visible, all of similar height and build. There was no way to distinguish her original advisory from the two new attackers.

Karai expected, but soon confirmed, all three ninja soldiers were devastatingly fast. It was hard to be certain, but it seemed that each had his own preferred fighting style. The first she fought had been partial to hand strikes, though he dodged in and out of range as needed for a strike. Of the other two at least one had taken a liking to staying in close, trying to strike her with hands and knees. He was the one she could track because he only stepped back to avoid kicks thrown during the scuffle. The last was likely the source of the powerful kicks aimed at her, which she was hard pressed to dodge with ninja number two so close. They tried to overwhelm her, coming from all sides as often as they could. Karai circled, slipping around ninja two, as she now thought of the close fighter, when he aimed a jab at her face.

Karai dodged about, waiting for an opening in their team rhythm. It was clear these three trained together, perhaps even went on missions together often. Ninja two was the weak link in her mind, his in close style making him slightly more predictable even with his speed. After all, they were fast, but still only humanly fast. Ninja two threw a cross hand hammer strike, Karai dodged under his arm and delivered a quick strike to a very precise point. She was rewarded when he seized up, it was as if she'd flipped a switch and he just froze. . . Which was bad news because the kicker was already committed a hard spin heel kick which caught his partner in the right temple. The force of the blow lifted ninja two off his feet and sent him crashing to the dirt a small distance away. The kicker gave the slightest jerk in reaction, but that was all Karai needed to go on the offensive.

Karai closed the space between them, feinting a punch that he jerked his head just out of line with. She latched onto his uniform collar and yanked him forward as she drove her knee into his lungs with as much force as she could. Before he could cough she was twisting them both around, shoving him back up and using a front kick to fling him back toward his other partner. The ninja who'd thought to attack from behind moved quickly to vault over his breathless friend, still hoping to attack. He was greeted by Karai's heel, followed but her opposite shin as she unleashed a spin heel, round house combo. As he fell, kicker lurched toward her seeming to be intent on tackling her. She bolted to the side, using a cherry tree to kick off and spin into a kick to the man's head. She landed ready to attack again but Daisuke halted the match.

Much to their credit, Daisuke's men did not utter a sound as they recovered enough to pick themselves up. The did not groan, and resisted the urge to hold their injuries. Karai had not gone easy in her finishing strikes, as kicker had proven on his partner that they were not going easy on her. She suspected, based on the slight jerkiness in some movements, that there was at least one concussion and some bruised ribs. They bowed and were dismissed swiftly, leaving as silently as they had come. Karai turned to the older men at the small table and offered a respectful, though not overly low, bow of her own. She could see Yuma fighting a smile as Daisuke allowed one brow to raise above his dark eyes.

"Have you any further doubts regarding my identity, Daisuke-san?" Karai asked in a tone which while respectful, bordered on sass.

"No, Oroku-san, I do not." If she wasn't mistaken there seemed to be just a hint of amusement in his tone. "I commend you, those three are among my top men. As you may have noticed, we specialize in stealth and speed." Now she saw a true smile on his face. "Though that is not all we practice."

"I look forward to learning more." Karai replied and saw what seemed to be pride in Yuma's eyes.

"Join us, please." Daisuke nodded to a third seat at the table. "We have some things to discuss."

 **Author's Note:**

There it is. I'm sorry for the delay but I want these chapters to be more serious than the Choices and Chances one shot collection. Karai is a character that has a very traumatic even though she didn't know the full extent of how traumatic until after she met the TMNT gang. I would like to justice by her, so I hope you'll have patience with me. I don't want to post any rushed chapters. I have also made it my goal to try to keep these chapters above 2,000 words each.

Reviews are always appreciated. Happy holidays everyone!


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